"Small Town" Connecticut Vacation in June
 

I am looking to take the family to Connecticut (from PA) in June for a tour of the state. I have in my mind that each year we'll visit one New England state and try to see as much as we can in one week. So, we have picked Connecticut as our first one since it's the closest to us.

Any suggestions of some beautiful towns that represent typical "small town america"? I am really looking to visit some quaint villages where you can really experience that New England flavor.

Stars Hollow.

[I'm sorry, but I can't help it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch WB Tue, 8ET.]

LOL! That was my first thought too, rkkwan! Altho', FWIW, my daughter has a friend from a small town in CT who said that she feels Stars Hollow is a pretty good representation. Not that that helps the OP any, unfortunately.

I actually did live in such a town for 2.5 years, but it's in RI, not CT. [Bristol, RI.] It's really pretty but sleepy - a few diners, some B&Bs, and the restaurants there close at around 8pm on weekdays, and aren't even for dinner Sundays.

Forget Fairfield County, New Haven County and Hartford County. What comes to mind right away is Litchfield County in the quiet northwest corner of Connecticut. (This is where Mia Farrow lives with her brood.)

This area is beautiful and has natural beauty, so you may want to do some research on the "quiet" corner of Connecticut.

Hi, chadandkim,

Try this web site:

http://www.ctbound.org/tourism_regions/default.asp

There are lots of quiet small towns in the Eastern half of the state. Except the areas too close to Storrs (U Conn) or Norwich (2 huge casinos), or the coast. But even along the coast, there may be quiet towns too. For example, one of my friend used to live in Sotrrington, near the RI border. It's just a few miles from Mystic, but it's as quiet a seaside town as it can be (except when the AMTRAK rolls by).

But, yeah, NW CT is also very nice.

I lived there for 12 years. Try,

Litchfield, Norfolk, Riverton in the Northwest Hills. You could spend a week easily there if you are into the outdoors.

Shore area - Harkness State Park is beautiful and it is near New London and Mystic Seaport.

Forget the wineries in CT. They are really, really bad and are not very picturesque.

Mystic Conn. comes to mind. I have been there and I am trying to picture it in my mind and can't. It is a Seaport town.

The towns along the coast, below New Haven, and beyond R.I. - think Essex, Old Lyme, Saybrook and Mystic are lovely, laid back, on the shore and near many attractions the family may enjoy. Litchfield County is beautiful- wonderful restaurants, a large lake (Lake Waponaug) but having spent several long holiday weekends there, there would not be as much to do as on the coast line.

JMHO, but, much as I enjoyed Mystic, I definitely wouldn't call it typical "small town America". Which is what the OP says he/she is looking for. It's far too touristy to be typical of most small towns.

In driving from our daughter's campus in Massachusetts to check out UCONN for our son, we passed through a lot of small, sleepy towns. Much more representative of small town America. So I suspect that the Western half of CT is more likely to fill the bill.

Forget Fairfield County???? Well, sure, forget it, we don't want tourists anyway, I could tell you about the gorgeous small town I live in there but it's a secret....I think Litchfield does have some very picturesque towns, Litchfield Green, Kent, The Lake Waramaug area with Hopkins Vineyard which is GORGEOUS (bad wine, but beautiful views if you drive up the hill in back of the tasting room), so I disagree with Denice about that.

As far as coastal towns, Stonington Burrough is my favorite, then Madison, Lyme (Go to Point O' Woods neighborhood), Old Saybrook where Kate Hepburn used to live, it says private but it's worth a spin around the peninsula, it's breathtaking, Saybrook Point.

There are loads of quaint small towns, true they may be a little more chic than quaint, but they're there, and the ones that look the same as they did 200 years ago look that way because no one talks about them and they get no tourists.

nina, <Forget Fairfield County??? Well sure forget it, we don't want tourists anyway> WOW! That's not a hospitable statement. I hope chadandkim don't take your comment to heart.

I live in Fairfield County, and it is (probably) the richest county in the U.S. Most of Fairfield County's towns do not typify a small town in Connecticut.

chadandkim, we welcome you to Connecticut. It is a beautiful state, and I wouldn't live anywhere else.

Although I live in Eastern CT now, I am most familiar with and fond of western CT.

The NW part of Litchfield County is beautiful -- my favorite towns are:

Litchfield -- it just 'looks' so New England (the white church, the town green) and has some interesting shops, good restaurants, lovely buildings and views. Busy on summer weekends.

Salisbury and Lakeville -- smaller, also look New Englandish, good restaurants, 'mountains' with great hiking trails (Appalachian Trail etc), lakes, scenic vistas

Norfolk -- my personal favorite, much smaller, "the ice box of CT" very pleasant when it's hot elsewhere, summer music, hiking

Other nice places -- Kent, Falls Village and West Cornwall on the Housatonic River -- covered bridge, waterfalls, state parks.

I was born in raised in Litchfield County (Torrington). My guess is that's what you're looking for. Don't overlook Litchfield (the town) - the town is absolutely a stunner with it's typical New England church and boulevard with gorgeous NE style mansions.

The county is home to many Hollywood types, Mia Farrow, yes, but also Tom Selleck, Meryl Streep, I thought Kevin Bacon lived there, etc. Consequently, there's a tinge of cosmopolitanism in the air. Some of the lakes in the area are also worth visits (Lake Waramaug, Bantam Lake, etc.) during the summer.

These are great and very informative! Thanks for your thoughtfulness. I don't know why I'm interested in it, but I love the old-time traditional towns. They are sort of vanishing these days and it's neat to see there are still some places where you can go to see them.

chadandkim

You're welcome. Enjoy your stay in CT!

Stars Hollow is a creation of CA born and bred Amy Sherman-Palladino. However, she came up with the idea of the setting after staying in this *real* CT inn that is located in a town called Washington, CT.
The Independence Inn, where Lorelai was the manager before opening her own inn, bears several resemblances to this place...Glad to know I am not alone in being a GG fan!! :)
http://www.mayflowerinn.com/

I am Kane, I was kidding, I live in Fairfield county too, and the town I live in is, IMO, one of the most beautiful, charming, and non-commercial that I've ever been to, and I'm not saying it's name!

On the other hand, there is another Fairfield County town that is like heaven on earth, and that is Southport Village. The harbor is spectacular, and the village looks probably the same as it did 200 years ago (but with nicer cars). I walk there about 3X a week, it's not reality in terms of affordability, but boy is it beautiful.

Nina, We are neighbors (within 15 miles), and I agree with you about Southport. The Center is beautiful, and the library is a one-of-a-kind. You probably know that people come from as far away as California for their annual book sale. How do they come up with these old rare books every year?

The only time I walked through Southport was when I was riding in a car with a real estate agent, and his car broke down! You should have seen me walking through Southport, and then onto the Post Road, with my suit and high heels.